AJ's Beer Warehouse: Rochester's new "kid" on the block

Simplicity is the name of the game at AJ's Beer Warehouse at 175 Clay Road in Rochester. With 11,060 square feet to work with, Julie and Alex Bielecki have created a haven for beer drinkers from all walks of life. From the $29 bottle of higher-end craft brews to the more widely-accessible commercial beers, this place has a selection to keep even the most fanatic of beer connoisseurs coming back, and they are constantly bringing in the latest and greatest from breweries new, old, near, and far.

Owned and operated by Julie, and named for their 4-year old son, AJ's has quickly made a name for itself in the Rochester beer community, getting more than its fair share of mention on Facebook, specifically in the Flour City Beer Appreciation Association, as the go-to place for most highly touted brews on the market.

The facility, formerly the residence of Chase Machine & MFG Co, is located on land owned by the nearby Genesee Valley Regional Market between Jefferson and Brighton Henrietta Townline Roads in the Town of Henrietta. Subsequent to the closing of their doors in 2012, Julie's father, Bob Carvotta, became the new owner, closing on the purchase on New Year's Eve of 2012. For the next eleven and a half months, they worked tirelessly to create a unique and functional space, making sure to preserve the "warehouse" look and feel. They opened their doors on November 25th, 2013, and the rest is beer history.

AJ's currently carries a Wholesale (Class C) Beer License, which is not easy to come by, as no new licenses have been issued in NY since the 1960's, meaning that you have to buy from a licensee wishing to sell out. This license permits the sale of beer for wholesale and retail purposes and is required for beverage centers and/or beverage marts who also sell to the public. Because of this license, AJ's is able to sell AND distribute beer, and although they primarily distribute beers made right here in New York, they have just added a brewery (Twisted Pine Brewing Company from Colorado) to their distribution portfolio. The marketing permit they have, thanks to their Class C license, also allows them to provide free tastings, which they host almost weekly (Great Lakes, Saranac, CB Craft Brewers, Long Trail, Bells and Otter Creek beers to name a few).

In fact, they have three FREE upcoming tastings on their calendar right now:

Lagunitas on Saturday, February 22nd (2-4 PM)

Southern Tier on Friday, February 28th (4-6 PM)

Great Lakes on Saturday, March 1st (2-4 PM)

They acquired their license through a bit of good fortune and with the help of Julie's dad who, Julie says, got her into beer many years ago through his ties in the restaurant, bar, and distribution industries. Her dad loves craft beer, is studious in his research to find good beer, and was one of the first to get Sierra Nevada (California) beers into New York. Bob's enthusiasm surrounding beer was the precipitating factor that compelled Julie and Alex to open AJ's, and has also attributed to his "craft beer celebrity" status. I'm told that when Bob likes a beer, many (near and far) will flock to it.

The AJ's Beer Warehouse experience is an unfailingly pleasant one, which begins in the parking lot in striking fashion. The sign atop the building's façade, designed and created by Alex's cousin, owner of Quality Quick Signs out of Buffalo, is that of a large bottle of beer, complete with the AJ's Beer Warehouse label, which appears to be emptying its contents into the front windows. Also adorning the bottle is the logo of a griffin drinking beer from a pitcher, while seemingly tapping a keg with a sword. …Friendly side note – this very same logo is also connected to J. Ryans Pub, a Syracuse-based pub owned by Alex, which features 69 craft beers on tap and at least one cask selection.

(Photo: ED PATRICK)

The first thing you see in front of you upon entering is an 11-door New York State beer cooler packed full of great New York State beers from breweries such as Roosterfish Brewing, Birdland, Keuka, and Horseheads Brewing Companies. I've grabbed numerous beers from this cooler which have impressed me tremendously, including the Sled Dog Doppelbock from Wagner Valley Brewing, and the Frost Monster Imperial Stout from Captain Lawrence Brewing Co. On the topic of the coolers, Julie and Alex proudly proclaim that all of their coolers and most of the construction materials are repurposed, recycled, or purchased from a variety of sources, most of them local.

(Photo: ED PATRICK)

To the left, you will notice a striking metal bar with stools, behind which 30 taps can be spotted, including one devoted to New York State root beers for kids and adults, alike. These 30 taps are set aside specifically for NY State breweries, which Alex and Julie take great pride in promoting. They also made it a point to note that they take great care in cleaning their lines regularly so that the customer is always getting great-tasting draught beer. This beer can be sampled (x2) for free, enjoyed by the glass, or taken home in a bomber or a growler. Behind this bar is also a big flat screen TV (broadcasting ESPN at the time of my interview), which they intend to use to loop videos of various brewery tours in the future.

Fear not ye novice beer drinkers! In spite of AJ's massive size and selection offered, you will not get much further than the discovery of said bar before some kindly person asks if you need help finding anything. Julie and Alex mentioned that they don't employ many full-time employees, and instead rely mostly on part-time contributions from friends and family who are equally passionate about beer. This, they said, is what allows them to keep their overhead low and, in turn, sell beer at incredibly reasonable prices. I can attest to both the low prices AND the friendly service. In fact, everyone I've interacted with since discovering AJ's has been consistently eager to help and full of information about their latest acquisitions and beers that are forthcoming.

Just beyond the bar, and to the left, is an entire wall dedicated to strictly Belgian beers. Opposite that wall is a 22-door beer cooler stacked full of domestic beers, with a small section of a few doors devoted to the Budweiser, Miller, Coors beers. Each of the doors is organized by style of beer, making it much more "user-friendly" than most beer stores I've ever been in. Just before this wall of coolers are a couple of shelves full of various types of glassware and imported beers, many of which are English and German. Once you've made it to the wall of coolers, you will notice a door situated neatly in the middle of the 22 cooler doors which leads to a beautiful little "beer cave," containing shelves full of beer from floor to ceiling, which are organized by brewery. The cave, upon entry, appears small, but the space is efficiently-used, and I've spent 30 minutes at a time inside without trying too hard. It is kept nice and comfortable inside, which keeps the beer at an ideal temperature for consumption, and you from freezing your life away while blissfully beer -browsing.

(Photo: ED PATRICK)

Inside the cave they have a gluten-free beer section and a cider section in effort to reach those ever-growing demographics. When they first opened, they ordered pretty much one of everything they could get in order ensure that no potential customer would be excluded, and you can clearly see that they pretty much thought of everyone here. If you're planning on buying in bulk, they purposely chose to provide shopping carts that are "kid-friendly" so that you can bring your little ones along, fill them up with draught root beer, and shop away. They admittedly keep stock low so that it turns over quickly, ensuring that fresh beer is on the shelves at all times.

AJ's also sell kegs, which they store in their hand-built keg room, and which is still under construction, but will be completed sometime in the first half of 2014. They are also looking ahead at adding additional parking and a delivery bay behind the building in order to ease congestion in front of the store. Julie mentioned the possibility of offering food at some point, though that's not a definite. As if this weren't all enough, AJ's also offers a full-service bottle return station and an ice machine!

After an hour or so of talking with Alex and Julie while touring the facility and enjoying a couple of samples of really good beer, it started to hit me. They are truly down-to-earth people who share the same passion for beer as I, and have taken that passion to the next level in providing both the Syracuse and Rochester communities with two great places to find and enjoy really good beer at extremely reasonable prices. Without question, they know their stuff, they have a great supporting cast, and are not afraid to work long and hard to get their hands on every great beer they can. In fact, they recently got four pallets of beer in from New York City, including brews from Cigar City, Hoppin' Frog, Mad River and Perennial Artisan Ales. In every respect, AJ's feels like the family-owned "ma and pop" beer store that I believe appeals to the purist in all of us. Though they carry a vast amount of beer, it is extremely well-organized throughout the store and easy to find, and there is always an enthused employee (or several) offering to help if you need it.

AJ's has unsurprisingly hit it off with the "beer geek" crowd (of which I am a part), yet they still hope to further permeate the demographic of Rochester's less experienced beer drinkers, a goal I believe to be well within their reach. I highly recommend AJ's as a go-to place to find good beer. If they don't have it stock, simply ask for it. Not only do those at AJ's bring to the table good business sense and an extensive knowledge of craft beer, they offer first-class customer service and are eager to accommodate all-comers, while adding that personal touch that so many of today's businesses overlook or lack entirely. Julie and Alex also have that forward vision to keep things interesting in an ever-changing craft beer world where new and exciting things are emerging each and every day. AJ's Beer Warehouse has become the premier beer store in Rochester, and I urge everyone to drop by to see why!